Villagers say they, not outsiders should repair shelter

Earlier, we reported that the community in Gales Point is grieving the loss of their cop who took his life on Tuesday night. But there is another problem that the residents are dealing with. The community center in the village is in deplorable condition and NEMO had offered to assist the Village Council with the much needed repairs. Initially, the contract for the work to the building was given to the village council who would then hire residents to do the job. But NEMO has not kept its side of the bargain according to the Chairlady, Katherine Dawson. That’s because just after the Easter Break, workers from other communities were brought in to make the repairs. But they were stopped in their tracks by a very bold Dawson who says she refuses to have the center renovated if it will not be done by the villagers who are in much need of income.

Katherine Dawson, Chairlady, Gales Point (Manatee) Village

Katherine Dawson

“Yes, Gales Point people approved to work the shelter. And one Tuesday after Easter, one of the men from the council came and asked me if I know that they brought in men to work the shelter. I told him no. so when I took a ride here with the police, the men said that they were sent to repair the shelter. And that is not fair because we could repair the shelter. We have lot of men here who could repair the shelter.

Daniel Ortiz, Channel 7

“You are insulting NEMO because they are trying to help; they sent someone even though it is funds out of the village that you guys won’t earn, at least the shelter will be repaired.”

Katherine Dawson

“I don’t call it insult because by right you done tell we that we the villagers will work the shelter, why dehn still send somebody else to work the shelter. Although I know the shelter woulda mi repair, we still have people here weh could repair the shelter.  Fi we shelter will fix.”

Daniel Ortiz

“When?…that is the situation.”

Katherine Dawson

“When…I noh know when, but we need back the contract fi make we work the shelter because if people come in ya, the first thing dehn wah holler is, “Chairlady, how you could make people come from somewhere else and repair the shelter when we could do it?” And that will be a problem in the village with the people weh come repair the shelter. And then they will be blaming me.if I sit down right there and noh do anything if I have somebody else come ina the village come repair the shelter.”

Duane Moody

“So apart from the material that were going to be used, it would have brought money into the village or at least for the laborers?”

Katherine Dawson

“Yes because Gales Point noh got no job. So any lee thing come up, the men in the village need to work. Gales Point noh have no job.”

According to Dawson, the estimate to repair the shelter is just under thirty thousand dollars and she hopes that the works will resume shortly.